According to a Wall Street Journal article by Sumathi Reddy, "breathing and controlling your breath is one of the easiest ways to improve mental and physical health, doctors and psychologists say. Slow, deep and consistent breathing has been shown to have benefits in treating conditions ranging from migraines and irritable bowel syndrome to anxiety disorders and pain."

"If you train yourself to breathe a little bit slower it can have long-term health benefits," says Murali Doraiswamy, a professor of psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. "Deep breathing activates a relaxation response" he says, "potentially decreasing inflammation, improving heart health, boosting your immune system and maybe even improving longevity,"